Spotted: Agaves on Trowbridge Ave Sprouting Flower Stalks

Two agave plants on Trowbridge Avenue are growing flower stalks, a bittersweet sign for any agave owner. The huge flower spikes are impressive, but agaves are monocarpic, meaning they die after flowering just once.

The plants seem to be of the Agave americana variety, more commonly called the Century Plant because it seems they take one hundred years to flower. In reality, the plants will bloom between 10 to 30 years of age. The flower stalk can grow up to 28 feet in height.

The two plants sandwich a similar agave that is not showing signs of blooming. Once the flowers complete their blooming cycle, the agaves will die.